Differential non-linearity correction scheme

ABSTRACT

Differential non-linearity errors in an A/D converter are corrected by an analog system. The system produces different analog voltages which are used to correct the input voltage to the capacitor. The input voltage is changed by an amount which is effective to correct the CΔV to be the same as it would have been if the DNL error had not occurred.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of Ser. No. 09/170,944 filed Oct. 13, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,215,428, which claims the benefit of the U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/062,854, filed on Oct. 14, 1997, which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

The present specification describes a technique of correcting for differential non-linearity in an A/D converter.

BACKGROUND

Certain A/D converters, including a successive approximation A/D converter, operate based on calibrated capacitors.

A plurality of capacitors are provided. Each capacitor has a capacitance that is related to the other capacitors according to powers of 2. Hence, the capacitors produce an output charge where each represents one bit of the final digital signal. The A/D converter uses these capacitors to estimate the digital signal that it will produce.

The estimation includes changing each bit between a 1 and 0, which effectively changes the connection to each capacitor. FIG. 1 shows the connection to each capacitor C1, C2, C3, being switched between two voltages: the source voltage VDD and ground. The switching is based on whether the bit associated with that capacitor is 1 or 0. The number of switches and number of capacitors hence corresponds to the number of bits, with one capacitor being associated with one bit.

The output of the capacitor string is used by the A/D converter 100 to produce its output 102. The output 102 depends, upon other things, on the accuracy of the capacitors and their scaling.

As described above, each capacitor has a capacitance value which should be equal to a basic capacitance value C_(x) X 2^(n), where n+1 is the number of bits of resolution of the A to D converter.

Even though the capacitors are scaled relative to one another, there are often errors in the scaling. A differential non-linearity can occur based on errors in the relationship of the sizes and capacities of the capacitors. The mechanisms and causes of differential non-linearities are well known in the art.

The differential non-linearities cause certain codes in the output of the A/D converter to be missing. This effectively reduces the dynamic range of the A/D converter, causes granularity, and also may be perceived as noise. It is desirable to correct the differential non-linearity.

It has been suggested to correct a differential non-linearity by using a look-up table for each value. This, however, requires a lot of memory.

A co-pending and commonly-assigned application suggests correcting the differential non-linearity by assigning a correction value to each active bit.

The present specification teaches a different solution to solving differential non-linearity problems. This is done by adjusting an analog voltage which is placed on the capacitor. Hence, the previous-known solutions require a digital correction.

According to the preferred mode, the operation is corrected by changing the bias voltage that is applied to the capacitors. In the prior art, each of the capacitors C1, C2, . . . CN, receives the same voltage: typically the rail voltage VDD. According to this system, at least a number of the capacitors receive customized voltages which are different than the rail voltage. These voltages are customized to correct for the differential non-linearity error caused by errors in scaling of the values of the capacitors.

In a first preferred mode, the corrected voltages are produced by digital-to-analog converters which are driven by a memory storing correction values.

Another alternative which is completely analog uses a variable resistor or resistor ladder to do this.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other aspects will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a prior art system of operating A/D converter using a capacitor bank;

FIG. 2 shows a first embodiment using a biased capacitor bank to operate an A/D converter;

FIG. 3 shows a third embodiment using an all analog system with a potentiometer to operate the A/D converter bank; and

FIG. 4 shows a fourth embodiment using a resistor ladder.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 2 shows a preferred embodiment of the compensation system. The output charge on the line 200, which is connected to the A/D converter 100, is proportional to the voltage on the capacitors and the values of the capacitors. The capacitors in FIG. 2 are scaled similarly to those in FIG. 1: where a value of each capacitor C_(n)=C_(x)·2^(n)+offset_(n), where n ranges from 0 to the number of total bits-1. The offset_(n) represents the differential non-linearity for the specific bit, which represents the undesired effect.

The output charge on the line 200 drives the A/D converter and provides a reference for determining whether the current estimate of the A/D converter is correct. According to this embodiment, an active node 202 of the capacitor is connected to a voltage which differs from VDD by an amount which compensates for the error in capacitance value. All or just some of the capacitors can be compensated in this way. If only some of the capacitors are corrected, it is preferably the ones corresponding to the most significant bits.

Assuming FIG. 2 is to represent a three-bit A/D converter, the charge on the line 200 can be expressed as follows.

Q=(C _(x) +DNL ₁)·ΔV ₁+(2C _(x) +DNL ₂)·ΔV ₂+(4C _(x) +DNL ₃)·ΔV ₃  (Equation 1)

Differential non-linearities in the A to D converter are measured using a standard technique. The differential non-linearities associated with each of the bits is then taken as known, hence, DNL₁, DNL₂, and DNL₃ are all known in equation (1). Then, since Q=CΔV, V₁, V₂, and V₃ can be calculated and stored as compensation values.

The compensation values are stored in programmable element 208 which can be, for example, fusible links or a memory. These values are used to drive the respective D/A converters which are preferably located on the same semiconductor substrate along with the A/D converter 100, and the capacitors C1 through C3. Each of the D/A converters 206, 212, and 214 produces a respective output. The DAC1 produces output 210 which represents the voltage value V₁. Similarly, DAC2 produces an output V₂ and DAC3 produces an output V₃. Effectively this changes the ΔV associated with the capacitor in a way which compensates for the respective non-linearity.

As described above, this solution, unlike other solutions, corrects the analog part of the analog to digital converter circuit.

A solution which is even more analog is shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 3 shows the same basic capacitor and A/D converter setup. However, in FIG. 3, a voltage V_(X) is provided biasing three potentiometers 300, 302, 304. These potentiometers are set to a position where they will produce the desired output. For example, the potentiometer 300 is set to produce the voltage V₁, the potentiometer 302 is set to produce the voltage V₂, and the potentiometer 304 is set to produce the voltage V₃. This effectively carries out a totally analog solution to the problem, without requiring any on-chip digital circuitry.

Yet another totally analog solution is shown in FIG. 4. In this solution, the bias voltage V_(X) biases a resistive ladder 400. Taps between the various resistances are attached to the respective active terminals, e.g., terminal 200. The voltage divider and taps are set such that the appropriate bias voltages V₁, V₂, V₃ are supplied to the appropriate pins.

Although only a few embodiments have been disclosed in detail above, those of skill in the art will certainly understand that modifications are possible in these embodiments while still maintaining within the teaching of the present invention and specifically within the claims.

For example, the preferred mode teaches the differential non-linearity-corrected total charge which is a reference for an A/D converter. However, the charge on line 200 could be used to drive any similar device which requires scaled charge. Other analog digital systems could be used to produce the DNL-corrective voltages V₁, V₂, V₃. In addition, while an example of 3-bits is given, it should be understood that this same system could be used to correct 1 bit, 2 bits, or any number of bits. This system could be used to correct all bits of A/D converter, or only some bits of the A/D converter. This same concept could also be used to correct a D/A converter.

While the preferred mode describes changing one of the switched values on the capacitor, either one or both could be changed.

All of these modifications are intended to be encompassed within the claims, in which: 

What is claimed is:
 1. A compensated analog-to-digital converter system, comprising: an analog-to-digital converter module, of a type which relies on scaled capacitors to determine an output value; an array of scaled capacitors including first, second and third capacitors, a common line connected commonly to one end of each of the capacitors, a plurality of switched connections, each connected to a second end of each of the capacitors, and switching the second end of said each capacitors between a first potential and a second potential which is different than the first potential, and a voltage source producing a first voltage for said first potential of said first capacitor, and producing a second voltage for said first potential of a second capacitor, said second voltage being different than said first voltage and producing a third voltage for said first potential of a third capacitor, said third voltage being different than said first and second voltages.
 2. A system as in claim 1 wherein said first potential is a voltage, said second potential is ground, and a first voltage of the first potential that is connected to the first capacitor is different than a second voltage of a first potential which is connected to the second capacitor.
 3. A system as in claim 2 wherein each voltage forming the first potential that is connected to each of said capacitors is different than a first potential which is connected to each other one of said capacitors.
 4. A system as in claim 1, wherein said analog to digital converter system is an N bit system, and wherein each of said N bits includes a separate capacitor part associated therewith, each of said separate capacitor parts having a first potential which is different than a first potential applied to each other of said first capacitor parts.
 5. A system as in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of said separate voltage sources, each of said separate voltage sources connected directly to one of said capacitor parts.
 6. A system as in claim 5, wherein said separate voltage sources comprise D/A converters.
 7. A system as in claim 6, wherein said D/A converters are responsive to values in a respective memory.
 8. A system as in claim 1, further comprising a resistive ladder, producing said plurality of voltages.
 9. A system as in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of variable resistors, each respectively connected to produce said plurality of voltages.
 10. A system, comprising: an analog-to-digital converter module, of a type which relies on capacitors which have different values to determine an output digital value, said analog to digital converter module including a plurality of capacitors, with at least one capacitor for each of a plurality of bits, each of said at least one capacitors having a different capacitive value; and a plurality of correction elements, respectively connected to at least a plurality of said capacitors, and providing correction values which compensate for inaccuracies in said different capacitive values, each of said correction elements producing a different output voltage, each of which is coupled to a respective capacitor, and used to correct for said inaccuracies in said capacitors.
 11. A system as in claim 10, wherein each of said plurality of correction values is digitally controllable by application of a digital signal thereto.
 12. A system as in claim 11, wherein each of said plurality of correction elements includes a D/A converter, which receives said digital signal and produces as analog voltage output responsive thereto, said analog voltage being used as said correction value.
 13. A system as in claim 10, wherein said correction elements include resistors, forming separate voltages from a common voltage source.
 14. A system as in claim 13, wherein said resistors are arranged in a ladder arrangement.
 15. A system as in claim 13, wherein said resistors are variable resistor.
 16. A system, comprising: an analog-to-Digital converter module, of a type which relies on capacitors which have different values to determine an output digital value, said analog to digital converter module including a plurality of capacitors, with at least one capacitor for each of a plurality of bits, each of said at least one capacitors having at different capacitive value; and a plurality of correction elements, respectively connected to at least a plurality of said capacitors, and each formed of a digital to analog converter, receiving said digital control value which is related to a correction for inaccuracies in said capacitive values, and each of said digital to analog converters producing an analog output voltage, connected to the respective capacitor, and used to correct for said inaccuracies.
 17. A system as in claim 16, wherein said analog to digital converter module is and an N bit module, with said at least one capacitor that is associated with each of said plurality of bits having a respective one of said correction elements connected thereto. 